Whip-stock bottom



Aug. 22, 1939. H., J. EASTMAN WHIP STOCK BOTTOI Filed Oct. 28, 1937 1 9 22 I 4 I F: lv \5 y g y HJOHN EASTMAN.

Patented Aug. 22, 1939 PATENT OFFICE WHIP-STOCK BOTTOM Harlan John Eastman, Dallas, Tex. Application October 28, 1937, Serial No. 171,467

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a whip stock of the removable type which can be anchored in the well bore.

In directional drilling it is desirable to set the whipstock in the well bore in a predetermined and. oriented position so as to direct the well here in the desired manner. The practice has, therefore, grown up of inserting the drill bit and the whipstock into the well bore as a unit and orienting the whipstock so that the deflecting face will direct the drill bit in the desired manner. It is, of course, necessary to anchor the whipstock so that when the drill bit is released therefrom to perform the drilling operation the whipstock may be securely anchored in position. The present is positioned on the well bottom or against a suitable obstruction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a removable whipstock and an automatically setting and releasing anchor therefor.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following descriptlon is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of the whipstock anchored in position in the well bore and showing the whipstock broken away to illustrate the anchoring mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. 1 with the drill bit removed.

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view showing anchor mechanism set in retracted position.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. a

The upper end of the whipstock is of the general type shown in the patent to McVicar No. 1,970,761, granted August 21, 1934,. and includes a collar 2 whichhas a'passage 3 therethrough the to receive the drill stem 4. The drill stem has.

a drill bit 5 connected thereto. A pin 1 is arranged to pass through the opening 8 in the collar 2 and in this manner the whipstock is fas' tened to the drill stem so that the assembly may be lowered into the well bore. This pin prevents relative rotation ofthe whipstock with respect to the drill stem so that if it is desired to orient the drill stem into position the operator is assured that the whipstock will be fixed in a desired and predetermined direction when his orientation has been completed. Of course, the pin 1 is arranged to shear when a suiflcient weight is placed upon the drill stem so that the drill bit mayv advance to cut away the side of the well bore. The whipstockincludes a body portion l0, whichhas the inclined deflecting face ll thereon and has the collar 2 fixed integrally therewith at its upper end. The body Ill may be of any desired length or configuration and the angle of the deflecting face ll may be varied for different whipstocks depending upon the angle of deflection which is desired.

In order that the whips'tock may be readily anchored in position when it reaches the desired elevation an anchoring mechanism'indica-ted generally at l5 has been arranged at the lower end thereof. This mechanism is' disposed in a slot or groove l6 which extends transversely across the bottom of the bodv [0. A transverse shaft I1 is carried by the body and extends across the upper end of the slot. Pivoted on this shaft are the blades or anchor members [8, two of which have been illustrated. 4 These members are of a length to-project laterally from the bottom when they are in the raised position shown in Fig.- 1

- and to be confined within the slot when they are retracted, as seen in Fig. 3.

In order to actuate these blades toanchor the whipstock a plunger or stem 20' has been slidably arranged within the socket 2| which extends above the top of the groove IS in the base of the whipstock. This stem has a foot 22 thereon to engage the bottom 23 of the well bore or to engage any other suitable obstruction in the well bore at an elevation where it is intended to set the whipstock. This stem is slotted at 25 so that it may move relative to the pins I1, and also carries a pivot pin 21 to which the links 28 are connected. These links are also pivoted at 29 to the blades Hi. It seems obvious therefore that as the foot 22 engages the well bottom any further downward movement of the whipstock will carry the shaft ll downwardly so as to cause outward pivoting movement of the blades l8. In this manner the blades will be driven into the formation 30 at, the sides of the well bore 3| of the whipstock and the anchor will be securely set. Additional pressure will cause shearing of the pin 1 so that the drill bit may be rotated and lowered along the deflecting face II as desired. When the deflecting operation has been completed the drill stem i is raised until the whipstock is picked up on top of the drill bit. Upward movement causes the blades 18 to be collapsed to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the whipstock is readily removable.

What is claimed is:

A removable type whipstock including a collar, a body, a deflecting face, a plurality of blades carried by said body, a plunger connected to said blades, a foot. on said plunger to contact the bottom. of the well bore, said plunger being slidable to extend said blades, said plunger connection including links. 

